


A Match Made in Heaven

by NatesDate



Category: Spooks | MI-5
Genre: F/M, Jonny Wilkinson, Rugby
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-09-30
Updated: 2015-09-30
Packaged: 2018-04-24 01:56:59
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 8,247
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4901143
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/NatesDate/pseuds/NatesDate
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>An off-hand comment by Ruth one day on the Grid leads her to a relationship with a famous rugby player, but it's Harry's reaction that leaves her puzzled.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Disclaimer: Spooks and its associated characters and settings belong to Kudos and the BBC. Additional disclaimers are located at the end of this chapter.
> 
> A/N: Many thanks to r4ven3 and TheChicaChic for taking time to read this story and helping to give it a polish.

_23 November 2003_

"I might regret this later, but I sent a rather crowing, encrypted message this morning to my Australian counterpart about England's World Cup victory."

Tom laughed in response. "Like the next time they walk all over us in cricket?"

"Exactly. Is no one else excited about this? England, Rugby World Cup, what's not to love? I haven't been this excited since I was a teenager." Harry grinned as he looked at the others around the briefing table.

"Sorry, football and cricket are more my style," Danny said.

"What about you ladies? Zoe, Ruth? Excited about the victory?"

Zoe looked up from the briefing report she was reviewing. "Sorry, I like hockey."

Harry scoffs at her answer and shakes his head. "Ruth, how about you?"

"I'm sorry, what are you talking about?"

"England, rugby, World Cup victory over Australia yesterday. Are you a fan?"

"No, sorry. I loathe sport. Always have."

"You loathe it, really? There isn't any you like?" Harry looked at her with a bit of disbelief.

Ruth shakes her head. "Though if England's fly half wants to make me Mrs Ruth Wilkinson, I might make an exception," she says with the ghost of a smile.

Harry is taken back by Ruth's admission but he's distracted by Malcolm's entrance to the Briefing Room. Malcolm begins talking almost immediately and Harry turns his attention to the matter at hand. It isn't until later when he has time to reflect on Ruth's admission that he realizes he felt jealous and wondered what Jonny Wilkinson has that he lacks.

* * *

_June 2004_

"Ruth!"

Ruth looked up from her desk to see Danny jogging across the Grid towards her desk. He glanced around before placing his hands on the edge of her desk and leaning over. Ruth simply lifted her eyebrows in a silent question.

"Are you busy?" he asked.

"Yes, I'm planning my summer holiday to Iceland," she replied in a deadpan voice.

Danny was caught off guard and moved to look at her monitor. "Seriously?"

Ruth sighed. "No Danny, I'm not planning a trip to Iceland. What do you need?"

Danny flashed his best smile. "I have a surprise for you. Lock your machine and grab your bag; you're coming with me."

"Where are we going?"

Danny handed her a thin file. "To a safe house. I need you to brief someone on safe house procedures and serve as their liaison to Section D."

"Danny, I'm not a field agent."

"I wouldn't ask you if I didn't think you could do this. Besides, the safe house guest is someone that I know you have a bit of a fondness for so I thought it might be fun."

As they waited for the lift to take them to parking garage, Ruth tried to guess who was at the safe house, but the few clues Danny gave her made no sense. Apparently it was a man but someone she'd never met and that was all he was telling her.

On the way to the safe house in Hackney, Danny gave her a few details about their protectee.

"He's being threatened by members of the Camorra crime family out of Naples. A few of their members are in town so we have the man under protection."

"Why is he being threatened?"

"Earlier this year, the 18 year old unmarried daughter of one of the members of the Camorra family gave birth. Supposedly she wasn't willing to name the father until after the baby was born, but once that happened she named this man as the father. He acknowledges that he met the girl while in Naples last summer for work. Apparently the meeting was set up by his manager as a favor to someone else; the girl was a fan of this man."

Danny paused as he pulled over and parked in front of a nondescript row of houses. He killed the ignition before turning to Ruth. "The man says they met at a reception they were both attending and then she showed him around the waterfront area. They were together for an hour or so before they returned to the reception hall. He went back to his hotel room and that was the last he saw of her. She claims he was drunk and doesn't remember the incident; he's a teetotaler and says that she's fabricated everything."

"So, he's in protective custody while the Italians are in town because some girl claims he fathered her baby?"

Danny nodded.

"Are you going to finally tell me who this man is? I haven't a clue as to who you're talking about."

Danny opened his car door and stepped out. Ruth copied his actions, making sure to grab the file Danny had given her earlier. Danny joined her on the pavement in front of the home.

"Ruth, the man we're protecting is none other than Jonny Wilkinson."

* * *

Harry finished the last stack of paperwork on his desk and lifted his eyes to survey the Grid. Tom and Zoe were at their desks while Danny and Ruth's desks were empty. He moved to get up from behind the desk when the phone rang. Noting the DG's extension, he settled back down into his seat and picked up the handset, but he kept his eyes on the Grid. He watched Tom and Zoe speak to one another across their desks, but he never saw Danny or Ruth.

A few minutes later Harry replaced the handset and looked out over the Grid once again. With no sign of two of his team members, he walked to the door and asked Tom to join him.

"Tom, where are Danny and Ruth? I've not seen either of them for some time," he said as he leaned back against the front of his desk.

"At the safe house with Jonny Wilkinson," said Tom as he sat on the sofa against the window.

"Both of them?"

Tom shrugged his shoulders. "Jonny needs to be briefed on safe house procedures and Danny wanted to get a jump on tracking the Camorra Family so he decided to take Ruth along and let her do the briefing." He smiled at Harry. "Remember that crack she made about Wilkinson last year? Danny thought she'd get a kick out of having a chance to meet him."

Harry didn't look quite so amused. "Safe house policies and procedures aren't exactly Ruth's area of expertise."

"Danny cleared it through me first. Jonny isn't some hardened criminal that we're looking after; he doesn't need muscle to keep him in place. Ruth will do fine and I felt she was a better choice than Sam. Relax, Harry. Who knows, maybe it will be a match made in heaven," Tom said, a slight grin on his face as he stood and made his way out of Harry's office.

"That's what I'm afraid of," Harry mumbled under his breath.

* * *

Danny was halfway to the house when he realized Ruth wasn't beside him. He turned to see her still standing next to the car.

"Ruth, are you coming?"

She continued to just stare at Danny, so he walked back to her side. "Ruth, we need to go inside and talk with Jonny."

"But...why did you bring me?"

"Remember how you made that joke about not liking sport but you wouldn't mind being Mrs Wilkinson? Well, he seems like a nice guy and I thought you'd enjoy a chance to meet him. Look, I've already debriefed him and I don't believe that he got this girl pregnant." He placed his arm around Ruth's shoulders and started to walk her towards the house. "There's an agent on duty at all times to control access to the house and keep an eye on things outside. You won't need to be here all the time but I need you to bring Jonny up to speed on the procedures he needs to follow while he's here and help him with anything he may need."

"But..."

"Ruth, I know you're an analyst but I thought you'd like to get out of the office for a change. Otherwise I'm sure Sam would volunteer to help."

"Bite your tongue," Ruth retorted with a slight smile.

"Are you ready to meet him?" Danny asked.

"Might as well get it over with," she replied.

To Ruth's surprise she didn't make a complete fool of herself. Danny had been right; Jonny was a nice guy. He wasn't thrilled with needing protective custody but he didn't take it out on the agents from Five.

Danny provided Jonny with more information about the Camorra family and the situation, at least what he could tell him. He'd introduced Ruth and her role before excusing himself. She followed him to the front door.

"I'll be back after dinner with another update and then I'll give you a ride home, okay? Just get to know him, make him feel comfortable. If anything comes up in the meantime, I'll let you know."

Ruth nodded, wondering how she was going to entertain Jonny for the next six hours.

"Oh, and Ruth? Have fun with your future husband," Danny said with a smirk as he quickly ducked out the door.

Ruth gave herself a few seconds for the blush to subside before heading into the kitchen. She was surprised to find Jonny there making tea and putting together a plate of biscuits.

"Hi. I don't know if you're hungry or not but I thought I'd make us something to eat seeing as how you're stuck with me for a few more hours. I don't know though, does arranging purchased biscuits on a plate count as making something? I've lived on my own so long that I scarcely know how to entertain anyone," Jonny said.

Ruth smiled at his rambling. If she didn't know better, she almost thought he sounded nervous, though if she had an Italian mob family making threats against her, she'd be nervous too.

"Tea sounds lovely, thank you. Should we go over the procedures you need to follow while you're staying here?" Ruth asked. She hoped that talking about something that she had knowledge about would help her feel a little more comfortable.

"No time like the present. It's not like I can just leave, can I?" he said.

"Technically you can. You're not under arrest but we can't guarantee your safety if you choose to leave. Hopefully this matter will be resolved in the next day or so and you can get back to your normal life."

Ruth retrieved the file of information from the sitting room before settling at the kitchen island. Jonny poured tea into mugs and placed the plate of biscuits between them. Ruth added milk and sugar to her mug, watching as Jonny did the same.

He noticed her observation of him. "I try to eat a really healthy diet to stay in shape for playing but tea is my one indulgence."

She looked down, a bit embarrassed at having been caught. "My father drank his tea this way and it never crossed my mind to try it any other way."

"Sounds like your father had good taste," he said with a smile.

Ruth returned the smile before opening the file in front of her and starting to speak.


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Disclaimer: Spooks and its associated characters and settings belong to Kudos and the BBC. Jonny Wilkinson belongs to himself, though hopefully he wouldn't mind me having a little fun with him.

As soon as Danny returned to the Grid, Harry called him into his office for an update on the situation.

"Jonny has been debriefed and is getting settled into the safe house. Ruth is there with him now," Danny said before being interrupted by Harry.

"Why is she there?"

Danny wasn't aware that Harry had already asked Tom all of these questions. "I needed someone to brief him on safe house procedures and to liaise with him should any issues arise. There's an agent stationed at the house to keep an eye on things and we've got eyes on the Camorra's so everything's under control. I'm heading back over there tonight to pick Ruth up and drive her home," Danny added.

"Yes, but why Ruth?" Harry repeated.

"I thought she might like to get out of the office plus she made that joke about him when they won the World Cup. It was either Ruth or Sam, but Sam was likely just to flirt with the man and not give him a moment's peace," Danny said, not catching the note of caution in his boss's voice.

"And the Camorra family?" Harry said, bringing the discussion back to the matter at hand.

"We've got eyes on them and are monitoring as much of the communications as possible. Jonny's name has been mentioned a few times, but nothing of note. Because of his injury he hasn't been playing this year but has been doing physical therapy. Apparently he's hoping to be back in time for the World Cup."

"Right. Anything else I need to know?"

Danny reviewed a few other minor details which Harry only vaguely heard. His mind was distracted with the thought of Ruth spending hours with a man she found attractive enough to joke about marrying.

* * *

Harry stood in the entryway to the safe house, having just been cleared by the agent on duty. He could hear two voices in the sitting room, but what surprised him was that the voices were speaking French. Being fluent himself he understood they were talking about places they traveled as children. After a story from Jonny about running naked along a French beach as child and Ruth's laughter in response, Harry decided it was time to interrupt.

"Pardon the interruption," he started as he opened the door.

Ruth looked surprised to see him and quickly scrambled up from her seat on the floor. "Harry, come in. We were just talking about stupid things we did as kids." Ruth set down her mug before moving to stand near Harry.

"Have you two met?" she asked. At Harry's shake of his head, she made introductions. "Harry, this is Jonny Wilkinson. Jonny, this Harry Pearce, my boss."

Jonny stood and moved to greet Harry, extending his hand. "Mr Pearce, pleased to meet you. I want to thank you and your team for your efforts in my situation. I didn't really think it was this serious but my manager called Special Branch, who then got in touch with you, and well, next thing I knew I was here."

Harry politely shook Jonny's hand. "You're welcome, Mr. Wilkinson. I presume Ms. Evershed briefed you on the procedures and protocol while you're staying with us?" He wasn't sure why he was being so formal with Jonny; the man was only a year older than his daughter Catherine.

"Oh yes, Ruth went over all that with me earlier. She's been very helpful and patient with me." Jonny looked to Ruth with a wide smile while Ruth glanced at the floor and blushed in embarrassment at the attention.

Harry looked over the entire scene with curiosity. He was initially worried about Ruth and Jonny at the safe house together, but he quickly convinced himself that the two likely wouldn't even get along. Ruth said she loathed all sport, so what would she have to talk about with an international rugby star like Jonny Wilkinson? Nothing, of course, so he brushed aside his worry. Besides, Ruth was nine years older than Jonny, who probably had beautiful women throwing themselves at him all the time. Not that Ruth wasn't beautiful, because she was. She is. Would Jonny find her beautiful? Maybe he was attracted to her pale blue eyes, her warm personality, and her brilliance. An image of the Ruth and Jonny together sprang into his mind just before Ruth's voice brought him back to the situation at hand.

"Harry, why are you here?"

He looked blankly at Ruth, still trying to get the unwanted image out of his head. When he didn't respond, she spoke again.

"Why isn't Danny here? Has something happened?" The urgency in Ruth's voice finally snapped him back to reality.

"Danny's fine; he's tracking down some information pertaining to Mr. Wilkinson's situation. There's nothing new to report, though we still hope to have this situation resolved shortly. Are you ready to go, Ruth?"

Though she was a bit surprised at his abrupt manner, she nodded. "Let me gather my things. I'll only need a minute," she said before disappearing down the hall.

Harry nodded at Jonny before walking back to the front door to wait for Ruth. Jonny stood awkwardly near the sitting room doorway, unsure as to what to do next.

Moments later Ruth was back in the hallway with the file in hand before stopping next to Jonny.

"I'll be back tomorrow, probably later in the morning. I need to go into the office and hopefully I'll have an update on the situation for you when I arrive. You have my number in case you need anything, yes? Otherwise let the agent on duty know if anything comes up."

"Thank you, Ruth. I appreciate your help and yes, I do have your number. Good night," he said.

* * *

"So how did he seem? Do you think he'll cooperate with us?"

The tone of Harry's voice was strained and it made Ruth turn to watch him.

"He was fine; very cooperative and hopes this will all be over soon. He wasn't even going to mention the threats to anyone, but his manager, Mark, received one by mistake. When he asked Jonny about it, Jonny finally told him about the other threats and that's when Mark called Special Branch."

Harry didn't say anything in reply so Ruth turned to look out the window, but the silence was too much for her.

"Did anything happen on the Grid today that I need to be aware of? I spoke with Malcolm earlier about setting up a secure connection with a laptop so I can work at the safe house if needed," she said. "I don't think Jonny is used to being cooped up in a house, though with his injury he's not been as active as he'd like. I imagine having someone to talk to will keep him from getting restless."

"Is that where you feel you need to be? At the safe house with him?" Harry's voice was still strained.

"He's more likely to stay put and let us handle this matter if he's not going stir crazy. We don't have any indication that the Camorra family knows of Jonny's location, right?"

Harry's response was only a nod.

"Good." Ruth thought about trying to change the subject but he didn't seem to be in the mood to talk. She watched the neighbourhoods change as Harry drove towards her home. She wasn't sure what was bothering him, but sometimes it was better to just leave him be. If it was something she'd done he would tell her but for all she knew he was out of his favourite whisky and hadn't had time to pick up another bottle.

* * *

The next days passed with little fanfare. Ruth stopped at the Grid each morning for an hour or two before setting off for the safe house. Harry's temperament towards Ruth was chilled but still professional. After two days of clipped answers and stony facial expressions, she pulled Danny aside to ask about Harry before she left the Grid. But before she could ask, Danny spoke up.

"Ruth, I think your babysitting job may be coming to an end today. The Camorras are set to leave London later this afternoon and we'll make sure they know we were aware of their intentions and that they would do best to stay away from Britain and Jonny," Danny said before Ruth could get a word in.

"Oh, well that's good then. Should I update Jonny?" she asked.

"That's fine. Once everything is settled I'll come by the safe house and finalize everything with Jonny. I'll call you if anything changes," he added before turning to leave.

It was only after Danny was gone that Ruth realized she'd not asked him about Harry's mood towards her.

* * *

Ruth was walking through the safe house to ensure she'd not left anything behind when she noticed a jumper tossed over the back of a chair in the sitting room. Picking it up she started up the stairs to return it to Jonny, who was packing his bags in preparation of going home. Danny had just left after telling them that there was no longer a threat to Jonny and he was free to leave.

Jonny was thrilled with the news, enthusiastically shaking Danny's hand and then turning to Ruth and engulfing her in a hug. She'd laughed at his impromptu move and Danny raised his eyebrows at her in question when Jonny left the room to ring his manager. Ruth simply shook her head and told Danny she'd see him on the Grid the next day.

Ruth's trip up the stairs was interrupted by Jonny walking down the stairs with his bag in hand.

"You left this in the sitting room, I didn't want you to forget it," she said as he took the item from her grasp.

"Thanks," he said as they both walked back down the stairs. Ruth picked up her bag and followed Jonny out the front door. They climbed into the back of a car driven by an officer from Five; Ruth to be dropped off at her home and Jonny at his manager's place. He'd head back up north tomorrow or the day after.

"Ruth, thank you for everything you've done for me these past few days. I think I'd have gone insane if you weren't there to keep me company and distract me from the absurdness of the situation." He reached over and squeezed her hand as it rested on her bag on the seat between them.

She smiled at him in response. "You're welcome. It was fun to get out of the office. I have to admit that I was terrified to meet you and afraid that I'd make a complete fool of myself by tripping over my own feet or something silly, plus I had no idea what we would talk about."

"Well that was never a problem, was it?" Jonny said with a mischievous grin on his face.

Ruth blushed in response. "No, I guess it wasn't," she said with a slight smile. "Thank you, though, for not taking your forced confinement out on me. I know it wasn't what you wanted to be doing."

He returned her smile with one of his own. "Yes, well staying alive was a powerful motivator for staying put."

After a moment of awkwardness, he spoke again. "Ruth, can I take you to dinner this evening? I'd like to properly thank you for everything you did for me."

"Jonny that really isn't necessary."

"I know, but I want to do it. Look, it's four now, how about I pick you up at seven? Do you have a favorite place to go? I don't know London that well. We can go somewhere casual or we can dress up and go someplace posh or whatever strikes your fancy.

"Are you serious?"

"Of course! I've been cooped up for four days and I want to be out amongst the world again, and I'd like to do it with you, the person who kept me sane."

"Well…"

"I can always just show up on your doorstep and pretend to be Romeo and entertain your neighbours until you agree to leave with me."

"You wouldn't!"

"There's one way to find out, and that's to say no."

Ruth bit her bottom lip as she quickly contemplated the idea. "Fine, I'll go. What are you in the mood for? What type of place would you normally go to?"

"Honestly, I prefer a place where I don't need a dinner jacket but other than that I'm not too fussy. Though given the events of the past few days, can we skip Italian?"

They both smiled at his joke. "Okay, how about Chinese? I know a little place where the owners are actually from China. They let me practice my Mandarin when I visit and the food is amazing. Plus it's not far from my house."

"Perfect," Jonny said with a smile.


	3. Chapter 3

The few hours since Jonny dropped her off flew by quickly. She wasn't sure if he was planning to come in and see her house, so a quick clean was done before she showered. The restaurant was casual but finding that balance of looking smart yet casual was never her strong suit. She had no idea why she was nervous; it wasn't as if she was about to go on a date with Jonny, it was just dinner. She finally settled on a comfortable black skirt that fell just below her knees with a camisole top and matching loose-knit sweater. She fed Fidget and was giving him some attention when the bell rang.

"Jonny, hi."

"Hello, Ruth. You look lovely this evening."

"Thank you. You look good yourself."

"My manager sent me with a driver but you mentioned the restaurant was nearby. Would you prefer to walk?"

"It's about a 10 minute walk from here and it's a nice evening. Do you mind?"

"Not at all. Let me tell Simon that we won't need him for now. I'll be right back."

Jonny walked back to the car double parked in front of Ruth's house while she slipped on her sandals, picked up her handbag, and then exited the front door. She locked the door and sensed Jonny standing behind her. She turned to him and the two made their way up the street.

The restaurant was quiet, with just one other table occupied in the small space. Most customers picked up their food or had it delivered so the seating area was tucked around the corner from the front counter.

Ruth greeted the owner, Jiahui, as she entered and introduced Jonny. There was no flicker of recognition on her face but he was warmly welcomed as a friend of Ruth's. They settled into a table at the back and a moment later Jiahui brought out tea and asked Ruth what they were in the mood to eat that night.

Jonny told Ruth she should choose so she picked a few of her favorite dishes and Jiahui smiled and responded in Mandarin.

Once they were left alone, Ruth asked Jonny what was next for him.

"My physical therapy on my shoulder is nearly complete and I'm hoping to still be named to the World Cup team, so I need to get my training back on track. Otherwise there's not much else; rugby keeps me busy. How about you?"

"Oh, well, you know there's always more data to analyse or documents to translate," she responded.

"Is this your dream job or is it a step to something else?" Jonny asked between sips of tea.

"I've been at my position for almost a year and I love it. You never know what will happen next, though it's more paperwork than people probably imagine," she replied. "It's a lot more interesting than my work at GCHQ and I like living in London better than Cheltenham. I'm content."

"Anyone special in your life? You dodged my question the other day by leaving the room; you can't do that here," Jonny said with a grin.

Ruth blushed in response and was considering how to answer when Jiahui's husband, Qiang, approached their table with two platters of food. The fragrant smells of beef, chicken, onions, peppers, and the other vegetables hit them like a wall and both inhaled deeply.

"That smells amazing! I didn't realize how hungry I was until just now," Jonny said as Ruth thanked Qiang for the food.

Both dished food onto their plates and the next several minutes were quiet except for the small expressions of pleasure as they ate.

The small talk continued through dinner. Jonny and Ruth had found conversation fairly easy while at the safe house and over dinner it was no different. The restaurant did a brisk business and Jonny soon noticed a man standing near the front of the restaurant, appearing to observe him and Ruth. It wasn't until the man took a photograph that he stood and approached the man.

Ruth was surprised to see Jonny abruptly leave the table and she turned to watch him approach a man. Jonny tried to keep the conversation quiet but the man was excitable and his voice raised enough for her to hear Jonny's name. Presuming it was simply a fan, Ruth turned back to her dinner.

Jonny returned to the table with annoyance written all over his face.

"What's wrong?" Ruth asked.

"That man was taking pictures of us and mentioned how much money he would make from a picture of me on a date," Jonny said. "I don't care about anyone seeing us together, but I don't want your privacy ruined because some idiot is trying to make money off me."

Ruth took a deep breath and let her brain switch to analyst mode. She wasn't a field agent so being publically photographed wasn't as critical as it would be for Danny or Zoe, but Ruth also knew that anything that drew attention to herself could cause someone to put the pieces together. There could be questions about how they met and the details around Jonny's situation hadn't been made public to the press. Before she could say anything, Jiahui approached their table and asked if there was anything else they needed.

"Actually Jiahui, there is. Do you have a back room that we could wait in? I'm afraid my friend here is quite well known and we would like to leave quietly and not cause a scene out front."

Jiahui nodded and led the pair to an office at the rear of the building, near the exit. Ruth told Jonny to call Simon to pick them up. Once he finished the phone call, he sat moved a chair over to sit next to Ruth.

"I'm sorry about this," he said as he rested his elbows on his knees.

"It's not your fault, but I do appreciate your concern. How long before Simon arrives?" she asked.

"He thought it would be 10 minutes or so. He was having dinner with a friend nearby so he hadn't gone far."

"That's good."

They sat in quiet for a few minutes before Jonny spoke up again. "I have to say Ruth, I've had my share of exciting experiences but these last few days of hiding out from the Italian Mafia and evading the press are something new for me. Do you do this sort of thing regularly?"

She turned to see him grinning at her. "All the time. Frankly these are the boring parts of my job," she retorted back before breaking into a laugh. "Seriously, I'm usually stuck in an office down in Millbank, which is probably for the best. My scores for field work were horrendous."

They were both laughing when Jiahui entered the office.

"Your friend is here to pick you up but the crowd at the front of the shop noticed the car go around the block and now they've moved to the back door. What do you want to do?" she asked.

Ruth and Jonny looked at each other, but he spoke first. "Ruth, what do you think? I'm not worried about myself but I want to protect you from this attention. Do you want to call someone?"

She nodded. "Jonny, call Simon and tell him to wait in the car for us. I'm going to call someone," she said as she pulled her mobile from her bag.

She dialed Danny's number but it went straight to voice mail. Reluctantly she dialed Harry's number and it was answered on the first ring.

"Yes?" was the curt question that served as a greeting.

"Harry, I need your help."

The tone of his reply changed dramatically. "What's wrong, Ruth? Are you alright?"

"I'm fine. Jonny and I were out for dinner and we've run into a bit of trouble," she started before being interrupted.

"Ruth, your dating woes aren't any of my business," Harry responded.

Ruth wasn't in the mood for his petty behavior. "As I was saying, Jonny and I were out for dinner when a man started photographing us. Obviously he got the word out that Jonny was having dinner at this particular restaurant because there's now quite a crowd outside and they're surrounding the car that's supposed to pick us up. Jonny's concerned about me being photographed and his recent situation and it all being traced back to Five."

She heard a loud sigh through the phone. "Where are you now?" he asked.

"Xie's Place, a restaurant near my house on Sheffield Road. The owners know me and are letting us use their back office at the moment. We've got a car waiting for us at the back door. Should we get in and see if anyone follows us?"

"No. Jonny's right; I don't want anyone to connect you to Five and if the story of Jonny's situation with the Camorras leaks out, someone may put the pieces together. I'm sending a car for you now and I'll call you with instructions. Give me Simon's number so I can call him as well."

Ruth passed on the information before ending the call and then updated Jonny on the situation. She left the office to update Jiahui and apologized for the inconvenience of the situation. Ruth returned to the office with a fresh pot of tea and two cups.

"I have to admit, Ruth, I didn't quite expect our evening to turn out like this," Jonny said as he added the milk and sugar to his tea. "I hope you won't have any problems at work because of this."

"I don't think so, though once word gets around that I was having dinner with you I expect I'll have a brief moment of popularity in the office," she said with a grin.

"I imagine you to be quite popular in the office. Smart, beautiful, funny, what's not to like?"

Ruth was surprised at Jonny's words but tried not to let it show. "I get along with my co-workers well but other than that I'm usually on my own."

"So there's not a special someone in your life?" Jonny asked earnestly.

Ruth shook her head. "No. There was someone, several years ago, that I thought was the love of my life but it ended badly and I've not dated anyone since." She shrugged her shoulders and stared across the room. "There is someone I know through work but he'll never think of me like that so I'm trying to put it behind me."

"Is it Danny?" Jonny asked.

"What! No, it's not Danny. We're friends and we get along great, but no, it's not him. Besides, he's got a thing for another one of our co-workers."

"Oh, well just checking," he said. Jonny nudged her shoulder with his. "For what it's worth, those guys don't know what they're missing."

Ruth smiled and turned to look at Jonny. "Thanks."

They sat in silence for a few minutes before Ruth's mobile rang. She listened to the instructions before acknowledging that she understood everything and disconnected the call.

"That was my boss, Harry. He said a car would be here in a few minutes to pick us up and that several police officers have been dispatched to deal with the crowd."

"Then what?" Jonny asked.

"I presume then they will drop me at home and you wherever you need to go," said Ruth.

The pair made their way to stand by the rear door and it wasn't long before someone knocked on the door.

"Ruth?" the mystery voice said.

"Mike?" She opened the door a crack to see Harry's security officer waiting for her. "Let's go. The officers have moved the crowd back as much as they can."

Jonny reached for Ruth's hand and intertwined his fingers with hers, much to her surprise. As Mike opened the door, Jonny moved out first but kept Ruth's hand, and thus her, close to him. They crossed the 10 steps or so to the open door of the waiting car and Jonny guided Ruth in first before climbing in after her. Mike closed the car door and quickly climbed into the front passenger seat.


	4. Chapter 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Disclaimer: Spooks and its associated characters and settings belong to Kudos and the BBC. Jonny Wilkinson belongs to himself, though hopefully he wouldn't mind me having a little fun with him.
> 
> A/N: I don't actually know what the parking arrangements are at the Savoy hotel in London, so I hope you won't mind that I took a bit of a creative license with their site.
> 
> This is the final chapter of the story. I want to thank everyone for the reviews and for their support. I appreciate it greatly. To Batteredpen, I loved your idea for this chapter but since the story was already written I'll have to save it for another story.

Ruth was surprised to see Harry in the back seat of the limousine but covered it quickly as Jonny climbed in right behind her.

Harry was distracted by the couple's joined hands until Jonny spoke.

"Mr. Pearce, right? Sorry about all of this, but I didn't want to do anything that would put Ruth at risk," Jonny said.

"Yes, and thank you for staying put. We'll be meeting your driver at a secure location where you will leave with him and head to a hotel for the evening. I'll see that Ruth makes it home safely." Harry's voice was strained, much like it had been for the past few days and Ruth wondered what could be bothering him so much. She smiled at Jonny as their hands separated but they remained seated close to one another.

"Mr. Pearce, I wanted to say thank you for your team's efforts through this ordeal. Everyone, especially Ruth and Danny, have been very good to me." Jonny turned to smile at Ruth. "Ruth kept me sane when I was tempted to throw caution to the wind and just leave, which is admittedly pathetic considering how little time I was actually at the house."

Ruth blushed lightly at Jonny's words and looked at her hands in her lap. "Jonny is overstating my importance. He simply isn't used to being cooped up indoors for days on end. All I did was keep him distracted." Once the words were out of her mouth she realized how it all sounded and blushed a brilliant red colour.

Jonny laughed at Ruth's comment. "Ruth you make it sound like we were engaging in illicit activities!"

Ruth buried her head in her hands as she became more and more embarrassed, which caused Jonny to laugh even harder.

"Is she always this easy to embarrass at work, Mr. Pearce?" he said as he wrapped his left arm around her shoulder.

"Ruth, I'm just joking around with you because you're so sweet with me. I'm sorry to have embarrassed you, especially in front of your boss. Will you forgive me?" he asked, leaning his head close to her ear.

Ruth lifted her head and dropped her hands from her face to see Harry watching her closely. The expression on his face was controlled to look passive but Ruth could see the hurt in his eyes. She was surprised at the expression and it distracted her from Jonny's question.

A few moments later Jonny's voice cut through her thoughts. "Ruth? Will you forgive me?" he asked again.

Dragging her eyes back to Jonny, she nodded her head and forced a smile on her face. "Of course. Don't worry about it. Harry has seen me embarrass myself plenty at the office," she said as she looked back to Harry.

The hurt in his eyes was gone and he too forced a slight smile. "I wouldn't say that she embarrasses herself but she does seem to have more than her share of run-ins with office supplies and equipment, such as files and lamps." The smile was more genuine now and Ruth rolled her eyes.

"Time to change the topic, I think. Where exactly are we headed?" she asked.

"One of the parking garages at Whitehall." Nodding towards Jonny he added, "Your driver Simon will be waiting for us. It's a secure location underground and away from prying eyes. As luck would have it, the PM has a few vehicles that are similar to the one that was picking you up from your date, so they have entered the garage after Simon and will leave at the same time to throw off anyone who tries to follow your car. Once you and the decoy vehicles have left then I will leave the garage in my personal vehicle and drive Ruth home."

"Where exactly am I staying tonight? I'm just curious," Jonny asked.

"At the Savoy. Your manager will meet you there and is bringing your things with him. They have a secure underground entrance so your arrival will be private."

Jonny nodded. "Thank you."

Silence fell over the back of the limo as each person looked out the nearest window at the passing scenery. It wasn't long before the buildings towered over them and the car turned and descended down a ramp, pausing briefly to check in with the security guard. The car moved forward again and one minute and two turns later the car came to a stop. Philip, the driver, and Mike exited the front seats and opened the rear doors for the passengers, who then exited the vehicle.

Jonny walked around the back of the vehicle to stand by Ruth and Harry.

"What are they doing?" he asked, indicating to the group of men who included his driver Simon, Philip, and Mike.

"Philip and Mike will update Simon and the others on any vehicles that may have followed us here and determine their strategy for exiting the garage," Harry explained.

"Oh, right. Makes sense," Jonny said.

The three stood quietly as they waited for the men to finish, not quite knowing what to say to one another. Shortly thereafter, Mike walked over and shared the plans for delivering Jonny safely to the hotel. When he finished Harry thanked him for his assistance.

"Mr. Wilkinson, I'm happy your situation has had a successful outcome. Good luck with your career and I hope you are able to play again for the World Cup," Harry said with a slight smile. He extended his hand and Jonny reciprocated.

"Thank you, Mr. Pearce," Jonny replied as the men shared a handshake.

Harry turned to Ruth. "I'll wait for you in my car."

Ruth nodded. "I'll be there in a minute," she said as she watched him walk away, unaware that Jonny was watching her.

Jonny spoke in a low voice. "It's him, isn't it?"

A startled Ruth turned to him in surprise. "No!" Quickly realizing she was admitting more than she should she added, "What are you talking about?"

Jonny smiled at her. "I was right. He's the guy you know through work that you don't think will ever fancy you."

Ruth didn't say anything but her downcast eyes and the faint blush on her cheeks answered his question.

"I meant what I said earlier tonight. You're smart, beautiful, and funny and anyone that can't see that isn't even bothering to look. I wouldn't give up yet on your Mr. Pearce. I caught him giving me the evil eye a few times on the drive over here. I think he's worried that I'm the competition for your affection."

Ruth shook her head in disbelief. "I don't think that's true," she started.

Jonny placed his hands on Ruth's upper arms. "Ruth, look at me." She hesitantly raised her chin to look at him through her lashes. "I know how guys are when they are interested in a woman and Harry is interested in you. I know the situation isn't easy because he's your boss, but don't let this opportunity pass you by. Is he a good man?"

"Yes. A very good man," she replied.

"Then promise me you'll take a chance," he said before pulling Ruth into a hug. "Thank you for everything."

Ruth had wrapped her arms around Jonny's waist as she settled her head against his chest. "You're welcome. I'm glad I had the chance to meet you," she said.

"And I you. Will you promise to keep in touch and let me know how everything works out with Harry?"

Ruth pulled back from Jonny slightly and gave him a smile. "I will. Though I imagine you'll be too busy to worry about me."

"Nonsense, that's why I have your email address; so I can send you nagging messages at 3 AM."

She laughed as they separated from their embrace. "Okay, okay, I'll keep in touch." She reached up and planted a kiss on his cheek. "Take care, Jonny. I don't want to hear of any more injuries, all right?"

He returned the gesture with a kiss on her cheek. "I'll do my best," he said before turning and meeting Simon at the car.

Ruth walked to Harry's car, climbing into the passenger seat next to him. They watched as Jonny and the others climbed into their respective vehicles. Moments later the four cars pulled out one by one to exit the garage.

"Will it work?" Ruth asked.

"It should. Each of the cars is going to a different hotel, each with an underground garage," Harry replied. "We'll wait a few minutes and then leave. Hopefully anyone watching the garage will follow one of the four cars."

The car was quiet as both sat in their seats, neither sure just what to say.

"Thank you for offering to drive me home. I appreciate it," she said in an attempt to restart the conversation.

"You're welcome. I sent someone ahead to be sure there isn't anyone watching your house and at the last report everything was clear."

"That's good," Ruth replied.

There was another break in the conversation before they both started to speak at the same time.

"Ruth, you go first. I insist," Harry said.

Taking a deep breath, she let the words tumble out. "Have I done something to upset you? You were short with me that first night at the safe house and then again these past few days on the Grid. If I've done something wrong or my work's not been good enough I'd like to know so I can fix it."

Harry looked out the side window, wondering whether to be completely honest with her. "No, you've not done anything wrong. I initially didn't think it was necessary to bring you into the operation; I felt Mr. Wilkinson would be fine on his own." He still hadn't turned to look at her so he didn't see how Ruth was watching him.

"Did something happen to change your mind?" she asked.

"Danny shared with me the compliments he'd been getting about you from Jonny and the officers working at the safe house. You were friendly and genuine and you kept Jonny's mind off the situation, which meant he wasn't bothering the guards as he'd been doing a bit before you arrived," he said. He shifted his attention from the side window to his hands on the bottom of the steering wheel. "Of course I wasn't surprised that you were getting along with everyone; you always do. But I suppose I was afraid you would get along too well with Jonny." The last sentence was said in a quiet voice that Ruth could barely hear.

Ruth matched her tone and volume to Harry's voice. "Why would that worry you?" she asked, still unsure as to the reason for Harry's attitude.

Harry finally mumbled something that Ruth couldn't understand. "I'm sorry, can you repeat that please?"

"Because you made that joke about wanting to be Mrs Wilkinson," he said just loud enough for Ruth to hear.

A look of confusion settled on Ruth's face. "I said what?"

Harry finally turned to look at her properly. "Last autumn, when England won the World Cup. You said you loathed all sport but that you'd make an exception if he wanted to make you Mrs Wilkinson."

Realization dawned on Ruth. "So you assumed, based on an off-hand remark I made six months ago, that once I was in the same room as Jonny that he'd fall madly in love with me?" Ruth started to gently laugh at the idea.

"I wouldn't go that far," he said while Ruth continued to laugh. "I fail to see the humour of the situation, Ruth."

"Harry, it's true that Jonny and I got on well with one another, but honestly we were like brother and sister. There was never any romantic attraction between us," she said.

His eyes widened slightly in disbelief. "I'm serious, Harry. Being with Jonny was like hanging out with my little brother, if I'd ever had one. Nothing more."

Harry turned to look back out the windscreen. Ruth's laughing died away as she watched Harry stare off into the distance. Jonny's words from minutes ago came back to her and a realization dawned on her.

"Harry, were you jealous that I was spending time with Jonny? Please be honest with me," she said, her voice gentle and sincere.

Harry continued to look out the windscreen but eventually nodded his head.

Ruth, despite having asked the question, was still surprised at his answer. "Oh," she said. "Well, as I said, nothing happened between Jonny and I."

"Good," was Harry's quiet response before he reached forward and turned on the ignition. Just before he put the car in gear, Ruth placed her hand on his arm, so he turned to look at her.

"Would you like to get a drink somewhere before you take me home?" Ruth asked, hoping that she wasn't wrong about the situation.

Harry allowed a small smile to show on his face. "I'd love to," he said before putting the car in gear and driving out of the garage.

**Author's Note:**

> Disclaimer: Jonny Wilkinson is a real person, he did kick the winning goal over Australia for England to win the Rugby World Cup in 2003, and according to Wikipedia he is fluent in French, but other than that he's tha puppet in my hands. I've tried to be kind to him and I hope he won't mind me borrowing him for this story.
> 
> A/N: The first section of this story is taken from the 23 November 2003 entry in Harry's Diary and I've heavily borrowed the wording from entry. The last two sentences of that entry are, "Ruth loathes all sport (although she did admit in our morning briefing today that she might make an exception if the England fly half wanted to make her Mrs Ruth Wilkinson). I must admit to feeling a slight pang of jealousy. What does he have that I lack?"


End file.
